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Mathias Shaw
Personality Mathias sees himself as a victim of circumstance. Born into a moderately wealthy family, he saw life as a playground that he would never have to leave. Everything was perfect until he became a Changeling. Being born into a fallen House, having to work himself up in order to be let free of the apron strings of his superiors, and then having to make his way on his own while still upholding the tenets of his name were not his idea of fun. However, certain things have their advantages and if no one is around to watch him, it won't hurt if he makes some fun for himself in the meantime. He is often one to lay about and spend his better hours drinking, dancing, and generally carousing with the locals--be they satyr, human, or something else. He is known to have impeccable luck and whether that is due to something beyond his doing or the tricks of his kind is still up to speculation. However, there is a side of him that is seen far too often (by his standards)--that of the hero. If someone is in danger he will put himself in harm's way to see them to safety. While he prefers to remain unscathed in these salvation attempts, that is very rarely the case. For better or worse, at the end of the day, if he is still alive, he counts himself successful in life. Sheet Musing Threshold : Creating Hope :: Whether it's picking up people's spirits with a game or song or saving someone from the clutches of evildoers. Mathias gains his Glamour through acts of giving those around him Hope of better things. Freebie Expendiatures :Attributes: 5 Dex, 5 Intelligence'Total: 10' :Abilities: ::Talents: Dodge 2, Persuasion 2, Primal Urge 6, Resistance 2, Subterfuge, 2, Vigilance 6 Total: 20 :Backgrounds: Mastery 3, Chimera 2, Resources 2, Mentor 2 Total: 9 :Realms: Actor 3 Total: 3 :Willpower: 4 :Total: 46 Expertises & Specialties :Intelligence - Creative ::Mathias has always had a vivid imagination. As he grew older that imagination was put forth into ingenuity. While this creativity has got him into trouble on more than one occasion he is still known for doing things in peculiar, albeit useful ways. :Wits – Clever ::Mathias is always trying to find a new way to get ahead. His mind is constantly looking for the path of least resistance to his ends. :Primal Urge – Resisting Stereotypical Weaknesses ::Mathias' tie to his fae soul is such that he has an easier time resisting the pull of Banality. :Vigilance – Paranoia ::Mathias is always wary that someone is out to get him or that his good luck will soon run out and all his past escapes will catch up and be the end of him. This has given him a more than slight edge to think the worst of people he doesn't know. :Marksmanship - Pistols, Longbows ::During his training Mathias was given instruction on both modern and archaic forms of projectile weaponry. He has honed this skill to be a valuable addition in the field of battle. After all, if you opponent is dead before they reach you, then you've done your job well. :Melee – Knives, Staves, Polearms ::Through his training with the Scathach, Mathias learned that having a multitude of knives on ones person can be quite useful and as such has adopted such a practice. In a more, militant setting however, Mathias is more comfortable with a staff or his special polearm: Ashandarei. :Performance - Dance ::While not stellar at the art, Mathias knows how to have a good time and enjoys dancing with nearly every attractive lady he sets eyes on. :Linguistics – Gaelic ::For some odd reason, Mathias has the strange habit of dropping into Gaelic from time to time when he speaks. This understanding goes both ways regardless of whether or not Mathias knows the language is being spoken around him. The origins of this knowledge are beyond Mathias' knowledge and are simply attributed to his Chrysalis. :Lore – Changeling, Dreaming ::As a necessity of his House, Mathias is versed in the knowledge of his people and the lands from which they originate. Merits :Danger Sense ::In addition to his general sense of paranoia, Mathias seems to have a sixth sense of his surroundings and will often get weird vibes concerning situations that could possibly have more than trivial consequences. He gets this sense as a feeling of "dice rolling," which only makes sense. :Living Legend ::Mathias is the incarnation of the fictional character of Matrim Cauthon from Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series. Through some form of mystical effects, the collective dream of the author and all his readers took shape and imprinted on the soul of Mathias. His physical form as well as his life events have shared a slight parallel with what has happened to the character as the novels continue to unfold. Those who have read the novels may recognize him, especially in his fae form, and he might have an easier chance of dealing with quests and items and chimera relating to his particular legend. Flaws :Compulsion – Gambling ::Whether from mystical intervention or simply blind luck, Mathias has a good head when it comes to games of chance. As such, he finds it very difficult to back down from any gamble he comes across. :Curiosity ::Mathias' nosy tendencies have more than once put him in hot water. Regardless of the consequences he has yet to drop this habit and will often go out of his way to find the truth of something that piques his interest. :Intolerance – Harming Women ::Mathias has a severe problem with harming women and a great dislike to those who do so without problems. Even if the women in question is trying to kill him he has problems when it comes to doing anything beyond subduing their attack. :Severe Phobia – Being Subject to Outside Magical Effects ::Since learning of the other Supernatural creatures and their powers, Mathias has developed an overpowering suspicion and fear of these powers and their actual effect on his person. He has gone to lengths to ensure that he isn't subject to these powers and will actively avoid and refuse any such offer that would put him under these effects, even magical healing. Backgrounds :Chimera ::Mathias went on a quest in the dreaming and discovered this amulet. A large disc with a foxhead embossed on its face, it holds a few curious abilities. For one, it allows him a modicum of protection from low to moderate level cantrips. All cantrips (except his own) of first or second level are made at +2 difficulty against him. All cantrips of third level (again except his own) are made at +1 difficulty. In addition, if any other power (Garou gifts, vampiric disciplines, True magick, or higher level cantrips) is used on him directly the amulet grows extremely cold to touch alerting him to its use, but not necessarily the effect. :Mastery ::Through his time with House Scathach, Mathias has learned well and performed admirably and was recently granted the third level of their meritocracy. :Remembrance ::Mathias has always had odd dreams since he was a child. Upon his Chrysalis those dreams or "memories" pushed to the forefront of his consciousness. He has had fairly vivid glimpses into the life of Erathius throughout the ages. This link has come through as some of his previous lives pressing through into his current memories, which while oddly jarring, is also quite informative. The Remembrance also connects him to his legend (which Erathius has always somewhat resembled.) :Resources ::Between his trust fund and the slight allowance his House has given him, Mathias has enough to get by on his own. :Mentor ::Merith Reliance has been with Mathias since his Chrysalis. In fact, she was watching him even before this event. Mathias became something of a teacher's pet for her and she is quite fond of him. In fact she treats him very much like an older sister would a brother. While he can grate on her nerves often, she is always willing to lend a hand in his training and offer any advice he may need for his travels. She is currently ranked as a Knight of House Scathach and as such can train others up to only that level. History Mathias was born on December 1st, 1990 to Adel and Morgan Shaw. Happy for their first child, they did as much as they could to give him an easy life. Morgan was the manager of a car dealership, on his way to starting his own chain and Adel was a nurse at a local hospital. Crystal Springs was a large city so money was not an issue for the family. An active child, Mathias was almost too much for his parents to handle. Constantly getting into trouble and making the life of his sitters hell through pranks and tricks, he had little lack of entertainment. His dreams started as far back as he can remember. First he thought they were extensions of the stories his mom and dad told him. But as he got older, and they became more vivid he began to realize they were more--just what, he couldn't say. He did his best to channel them in drawings and imaginative role play. Imagination was one of the things the boy was not short on and he did everything he could to express his ideas and get more from any source he could. Books were a great source of magic for him and when he was five he read the Tolkien saga of Lord of the Rings. Enamored with the fights of elves and humans and orcs and other forces of evil, he drank in the stories with glee. His teachers were rather impressed with his ability to handle such heavy reading and his grades seemed to reflect a higher than average intelligence. Early childhood passed with only moderate bumps along the way. School was fairly easy for Mathias, his grades were good, not stellar, but that was more from the boredom the boy experienced than anything else. Instead of reading about fractions and decimals, often he would be in his room with his newest font of fantasy. The Wheel of Time series held politics, battles, and magic and the character of Mat Cauthon resounded with something inside Mathias strongly. He noticed the resemblance and while he pointed it out to his parents, they shrugged it off as his imagination again. And play it did. His new games revolved around the figures of the books. Rand, Mat, and Perrin would be represented with his action figures and go on adventures into the Waste or the Blight and fight off the forces of the Dark One. Of course, these play sessions often ended with Mat saving a princess from the tower of Shayol Ghul. This is not at all how the original stories go, but imagination can change things, especially in young boys. Other things can change for young boys as well. Mathias was 12 when it happened, the event that would change his life forever. The dreams had been getting more and more vivid. They were also invading his waking states. One moment he'd be at recess talking to an attractive girl and the next he's be in a bar in Lancea (wherever that was) holding a barmaid and asking her for more wine and a kiss on the cheek. Needless to say, his social life suffered because of such things, but again, he dismissed them as an active imagination. Then he Chrysalised. On his way back home from school (he walked more often than not), the skies darkened and he was on a battlefield, on a horse with the men behind him, holding a long black spear with a curved blade. A black scarf was tied around his neck and underneath was a medallion. Almost instantly Mathias recognized the scene. This was in The Fires of Heaven; he was Mat Cauthon and the men behind him where the beginning of the Band of the Red Hand. That meant that the hordes of the Shaido Aiel were right over the next hill. Sure enough a mass of tanned men and women with red and blonde hair poured over the hill before his party. Rallying the men behind him he shouted a phrase that was alien to his ears but nonetheless the effect was what was desired. The men formed up and met the charge with one of their own. Battle erupted about Mathias his spear thrusting and swinging about him. Aiel falling left and right, his men falling as well. His horse went down, luckily he was able to roll out of the way before being crushed under the creature. And there was the leader Couladin, charging at him. Mathias had only one choice: win or die. The battle between the two was fierce and long, hours passed with neither man giving ground. Then Mathias found an opening and his spear pierced Couladin's side. The Aielman fell and the rest of the battlefield slid away with him. When the dust cleared, a woman stood in the street before Mathias--the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his life. She wore a long gray gown and a shining breastplate over it. She smiled at him and offered him her hand, telling him he had done well and she would see he was taken care of. She introduced herself as Merith, and she did as she said she would. She took him home and explained to his parents that he was accepted to a special private school on a full scholarship and that it would be especially beneficial for his education if he attended. His parents at first were puzzled by this, Mathias wasn't the most exceptional student, but over time they understood that his merits and his personality must have won him the position. They agreed and sent him off with the woman the next week. On the way to his new “school” Mathias was given the brief rundown of what he was and what was expected of him. He was a Changeling, but not just any, he was a sidhe of House Scathach. He was taught the history of his House: how they stayed behind during the retreat of the other sidhe to Arcadia, to guide and shape the other commoners paths so that the fae would survive; how they were looked down upon by the other sidhe for placing themselves on the same level as the commoners; and how the Dreaming extracted its price for their change. He also learned that the school he was going to attend was actually a training camp for the people of House Scathach. He would be taught the basics of being a shaper of Fate: combat, stealth, honor, courage, and an understanding of the threat that all fae were to face in the coming days and how the other supernaturals of the world be needed to win the fight. Erathius was his fae name, and had been in every previous incarnation. Over time he grew and changed. His parents liked the young man he was becoming and also were proud of the “grades” he was receiving from his school. So it was no surprise when he was given the option of live at the school at the age of 14 and they agreed. By this time he had undergone the Fior-Righ and been inducted into the House as a Seeker. He was friendly and jovial, moreso than many of his House, he flirted wherever he could (but only when the girls wanted to be flirted with--how he loved the satyrs!), and he was known to have a knack for getting both into and out of trouble. He was still very curious, and more than once found himself in situations he hadn't bargained for. His pet peeve in this new world was magic. He had his own cantrips, ways to bend luck and make great jumps, but he didn't like cantrips being used on him. When he heard that there were true wizards in the world, and other creatures like vampires and werewolves that could harm him with their spells, well... even knowing as little as he did, he worried. He still had the dreams, but he could not make any sense of them. Over time it became clear that he had a definite tie to the character of Mat Cauthon--to his superiors it was clear and evident. They urged him to take advantage of it where he could. When he was 17, fed up with pooka pranks and Arcadian sidhe Sovereign both, Mathias decided to go on a quest to look for an artifact of the legend he seemed tied to--Mat Cauthon's foxhead amulet. He had a sense of where to go to find it, and so he took Merith and a group of Seekers into the Dreaming. They went down trods and through pathways, to a grand desert city. Mathias found himself separated from Merith and the others, in the center of a star shaped chamber. Thick columns nearly filled the area and a man appeared before him. No, not a man, something masculine but definitely not human. The creature looked more like a fox than a man, even down to the narrow face and sharp teeth that filled his mouth. Mathias knew where he was and dreaded that things would not happen as they had in the books. He didn't want to die and he didn't want to meet the beings he thought resided in this tower--but if it meant he could gain the amulet, he'd take the risk. As he followed the fox-man things only seemed to play out exactly as they had for Mat Cauthon. He was led through a strange, alien place to a room with eight pedestals. More fox creatures sat atop the pedestals, and as Mathias watched more fox-like figures appeared atop them. He was locked in the chamber with these beings. Without thought of any of the "catches" in this place, Mathias boldly stepped forward and began talking, playing through the scene. At some point he lost control, and even if he wanted he couldn't have stopped. The scene played out, and the fox-people grinned mockingly as Mat felt something tighten around his throat and blackness filled his vision. He dreamed while he floated in darkness. He was surrounded by the same fox people. They pressed their hands to his head in turn, and his dreams flashed before him. In each moment he was Erathius but each was a different time. Erathius the warrior, Erathius the bard, Erathius the scoundrel, Erathius the savior. The explosion of knowledge hurt as it pressed into his brain and knowledge was seared into his memory. He felt certain points of his own life slipping away to the flood of knowledge and then it was over. Two of the foxes came forward holding a long black hafted spear with a curved sword blade in place of a spear point. On the pole was an odd script but he could read it: Thus is our treaty written; thus is agreement made. Thought is the arrow of time; memory never fades. What was asked is given; the price is paid. The fox people slipped a leather cord with a medallion on it around his neck. Suddenly a rope appeared attached to the pole and a noose wove about his neck. He felt the earth fade beneath him and then he woke up. Merith was over him administering CPR when he awoke. He coughed as he sucked in air to live. Next to him lay the black sword spear and the medallion. Mathias told Merith and the others what had happened, and took up his prizes. When they returned, Mathias began training others even as he was trained for further promotion in the House ranks. He found that he no longer dreamed, but could access Erathius' memories, and his ties to Mat, in waking life. He had developed a sixth sense about danger, and grew bolder and more daring. Two more years passed, and Mathias turned 19. He was granted the level of Fellow-Crafter and sent on his way to find a place to watch and to keep things in check. He researched the most likely candidates, some of the more low-level cities and towns and pondered his destination. Something about Crystal Springs seemed to draw him in. Perhaps it was the market, perhaps it was the seeming lack of regular nobles, perhaps it was the fact that the local contact was a female satyr, or maybe it was the fact that it was his home. Whatever it actually was, Mathias settled on it and decided to make his way there. Sure, he would make some stops on the way and mingle and watch and then move on, but he had a direction. He said his goodbyes to Merith (who he had come to call 'Meri') and set out to make his name and his mark on the world. Gallery File:MatSit.jpg|Relaxed File:Erathius.jpg|Fae mien, in shadow File:ErathiusPast.jpg|A sketch of Erathius in a past life... or is it? Category:Character Archive